Athesia
The Kingdom of Athesia is a neighboring kingdom of Cartham, located to the north and sharing the region known as Frozenland. History Rise of Clan Ringstad The first Great Karl of Athesia, Ubbe, was the son of an Athesian chieftain. As a young man, he rose very rapidly by working with members of various other clans and tribes. Ubbe went to war with a neighboring tribe, and after defeating them, he gave himself the name Ringstad. He then enlarged his Athesian state under himself and his kin. The term Athesian came to be used to refer to all Athesian-speaking tribes under the control of Ubbe. With the help of allied tribes and clans, Ubbe defeated the neighboring Jord and Potto clans. Ubbe forbade the looting of his enemies without permission, and he implemented a policy of sharing spoils with his warriors and their families instead of giving it all to the aristocrats. These policies brought him into conflict with his uncles, who were also legitimate heirs to the throne; they regarded Ubbe not as a leader but an insolent usurper. This dissatisfaction spread to generals and other associates, and some Athesians who had previously been allies broke their allegiance. War ensued, and Ubbe and the forces still loyal to him prevailed, defeating the remaining rival tribes and bringing them under his sway. Ubbe was subsequently crowned the leader of Athesia at a general assembly. It was there that he assumed the title of Great Karl instead of one of the old tribal titles, marking the start of the Athesian Empire. Geography, climate and environment Among the largest settlements in Athesia are Krasny and Toelver. Also of note is the sacred land of Malstrom. Wildlife Demographics Population Language Athesian is the official language of Athesia, though most residents also know several phrases in Carthian. Religion Most known religions have Athesian followers, and the kingdom has an institution that ensures complete religious freedom. All religious leaders are exempt from taxation and public service. As such, an Athesian settlement may have several temples and other places of worship for a wide variety of religions. Many Athesians practice their own religion, which has influenced the lesser deities worshiped by the Warthorn Elves. Among their deities are Kohrbein, the god of war, Kundek, the god of death, Yrsa, the goddess of love and fertility, and Herlu, the trickster. Family structure The traditional Athesian family is patriarchal, patrilineal, and patrilocal. Wives are brought for each of the sons, while daughters are married off to other clans. Wife-taking clans stand in a relation of inferiority to wife-giving clans. Thus, wife-giving clans are considered are considered "elder" or "bigger" in relation to wife-taking clans, who are considered "younger" or "smaller". This distinction, symbolized in the terms of "elder", "bigger", "younger", and "smaller", was carried into the clan and family as well, and all members of a lineage are terminologically distinguished by generation and age, with senior superior to junior. In the traditional Athesian family, each son receives a part of the family herd as he marries, with the elder son receiving more than the younger son. The younger son remains in the parental tent caring for his parents, and after their death he inherits the parental tent in addition to his own part of the herd. This inheritance system was mandated by law codes created by the King. Likewise, each son inherits a part of the family's camping lands and pastures, with the elder son receiving more than the younger son. The eldest son inherits the farthest camping lands and pastures, and each son in turn inherit camping lands and pastures closer to the family tent until the youngest son inherits the camping lands and pastures immediately surrounding the family tent. Family units often remain near each other and in close cooperation, though extended families inevitably break up after a few generations. The institutions of polygamy and concubinage are permitted. Children born of concubines are legitimate. The seniority of children dervies from the status of the mother. The eldest son receives more than the youngest after the death of their father, but the latter inherits the household of their father. Children of concubines also receive a share of inheritance, in accordance with the instructions of their father, or with custom. Even so, both a husband or a wife are permitted to kill their spouse and their partner if they catch them in the act of adultery. After the family unit, the next largest social units are the subclan and the clan. These units are derived from groups claiming patrilineal descent from a common ancestor, ranked in order of seniority. This ranking is symbolically expressed at formal feasts, in which tribal chieftains are seated and receive particular portions of the slaughtered animal according to their status. The lineage structure of Athesia has three different modes. It is organized on the basis of genealogical distance, or the proximity of individuals to one another on a graph of kinship; generational distance, or the rank of generation in relation to a common ancestor, and birth order, the rank of brothers in relation to each another. The paternal descent lines are collaterally ranked according to the birth of their founders, and are thus considered senior and junior to each other. Of the various collateral patrilines, the senior in order of descent from the founding ancestor, the line of eldest sons, is the most noble. No one has his exact equal; everyone found his place in a system of collaterally ranked lines of descent from a common ancestor. It is according to this idiom of superiority and inferiority of lineages derived from birth order that legal claims to superior rank are couched. Relatives are grouped together under separate terms that crosscut generations, age, and even sexual difference. Thus, a man's father's sister's children, his sister's children, and his daughter's children are all called by another term. A further attribute is strict terminological differentiation of siblings according to seniority. Health Education Government and politics Athesia is governed by a code of laws devised by the Great Karl. A particular canon of this code is that those of rank share the same hardship as the common man. It also imposes severe penalties, e.g. the death penalty if one mounted soldier following another does not pick up something dropped from the mount in front. Penalties are also decreed for rape and to some extent for murder. One of Athesia's most infamous prisons is located within a glacier. Any resistence to Athesian rule is met with massive collective punishment. Cities are destroyed and their inhabitants slaughtered if they defy Athesian orders. Chiefs and generals are selected based on merit. The kingdom is governed by a non-democratic, parliamentary style central assembly in which the Athesian chiefs met with the Great King to discuss domestic and foreign policies. Assemblies are also convened for the selection of each new Great King. The Athesians also have a national seal, encourage the use of a written alphabet, and exempt teachers, lawyers, and artists from taxes. The Athesians are tolerant of other religions, and rarely persecute people on religious grounds. This is associated with their culture and progressive thought. Foreign relations The Athesians are very friendly with their Carthian neighbors. Though still on friendly terms, they are less cordial with the Djannir Empire. Military The Athesians have one of the largest militaries in the world, though their exact numbers are the subject of scholarly debate. Their organization is simple but effective, based on the decimal system. The army is built up of squads of ten men each, and each further division is made up of ten of the previous. The Athesians are most famous for their horse archers, but troops armed with lances are equally skilled, and they recruit other military talents from the lands they conquer. With experienced engineers and a bombardier corps which are experts at building trebuchets, catapults, and other machines, the Athesians can lay siege to fortified positions, sometimes building machinery on the spot using available local resources. Forces under the command of Athesia are trained, organized, and equipped for mobility and speed. Athesian soldiers are more lightly armored than many of the armies they face, but are able to make up for it with maneuverability. Each Athesian warrior usually travels with multiple horses, allowing him to quickly switch to a fresh mount as needed. In addition, the soldiers of an Athesian army function independently of supply lines, considerably speeding up army movement. Skillful use of couriers enable the leaders of these armies to maintain contact with one another. Discipline is indicated during a traditional hunt. These hunts are distinctive from hunts in other cultures, being the equivalent of small unit actions. Athesian forces spread out in a line, surround and entire region, and then drive all of the game within that area together. The goal is to let none of the animals escape and to slaughter them all. Another advantage of the Athesians is their ability to traverse large distances, even in unusually cold winters; for instance, frozen rivers lead them like highways to large urban centers on their banks. The Athesians are adept at river-work, known for crossing rivers in spring flood conditions with several thousand cavalry soldiers. Traditionally known for their prowess with ground forces, the Athesians are also prodigious sailors. They are known to build and utilize several types of ships for various purposes. Their longships are intended for warfare and exploration, designed for speed and agility, and are equipped with oars to complement the sail, making navigation possible independently of the wind. All military campaigns are preceded by careful planning, reconnaissance, and the gathering of sensitive information relating to enemy territories and forces. The success, organization, and mobility of the Athesian armies permit them to fight on several fronts at once. All adult males up to the age of sixty are eligible for conscription into the army, a source of honor in the tribal warrior tradition. According to custom, all Athesian men are required to own weapons and are permitted to carry them at all times. These arms are indicative of an Athesian's social status; a wealthy Athesian has a complete ensemble of helmet, shield, mail shirt, and sword. However, swords are rarely used in battle, usually used as symbolic or decorative items. A typical freeman is more likely to fight with a spear and shield, and most also carry a knife for utility reasons as well as a side-arm. Bows are used in the opening stages of land battles and at sea. Athesians are relatively unusual for their use of axes as a main battle weapon, a trait only shared with the Warthorn Elves and Dwarves of Cartham. The warfare and violence of the Athesians are often motivated and fueled by their beliefs in Athesian religion, focusing on Kohrbein and Kundek, the gods of war and death. In combat, the Athesians sometimes engage in a disordered style of frenetic, furious fighting known as "berserking", leading them to be termed "berserkers". Economy The first Great King authorized the use of paper money shortly before his death. It was backed by precious metals and silk. The Athesians use silver ingot as a unified money of public account, while circulating paper money in the east and coins in the western areas of the kingdom. The Athesians' paper money is made out of mulberry bark, whereas the coins are made out of gold, silver, and copper. The northern reaches of the kingdom still pay their taxes in the form of goods and commodities. Culture The Athesians are best-known for their archery, poetry, and music. They are known to export warm winter clothing made from pelts of the animals in their cold home, and draw upon a wide color palette in their designs. Food The Athesians differentiate two types of food; "red food" and "white food". White foods are usually dairy products and are the main food source during the summer. The main part of their diet is fermented mare's milk. They rarely drink fresh milk, but often use it to create other foods, including cheese and yogurt. Red foods are usually meat and are the main food source during the winter, usually boiled and served with wild garlic or onions. The Athesians have a unique way of slaughtering their animals to get meat. The animal is laid on its back and restrained. Then the butcher cuts its chest open and rips open the aorta, which causes deadly internal bleeding. Animals are slaughtered in this fashion because it keeps all of the blood inside of the carcass. Once all of the internal organs are removed, the blood was then drained out and used for sausages. The Athesians also hunt animals as a food source, including rabbit, deer, wild boar, and even wild rodents such as squirrels and marmots. During the winter, the Athesians also practice ice fishing. The Athesians rarely slaughter animals during the summer, but if an animal dies of natural causes they make sure to carefully preserve it. This is done by cutting the meat into strips and then letting it dry by the sun and the wind. During the winter, sheep are the only domestic animal slaughtered, but horses are occasionally slaughtered for ceremonies. Meal etiquette existed only during large gatherings and ceremonies. The meal, usually meat, was cut up into small pieces. Guests were served their meat on skewers and the host determined the order of serving. People of different social classes were assigned to different parts of the meat and it was the responsibility of the server to know who was in each social class. The meat was eaten with fingers and the grease was wiped on the ground or on clothing. The most commonly imported fare was liquor, the most popular being wine. Drunkenness is common at festivals and gatherings. Singing and dancing are also common after the consumption of alcohol. Noodles also appear in Athesian food. Spices such as cardamom and other food such as chickpeas and fenugreek seeds also are part of their diet.Category:Athesia